Musky Open

National Championship Musky Open
August 16 - 18, 2019

The Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center and Musky Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin, Inc. are pleased to announce the 34th Annual National Championship Musky Open Tournament August 16 – 18, 2019.

Our tournament headquarters will be at Vilas County Fairgrounds on Highway 70 West, just blocks from downtown Eagle River. Registration and orientation will be at the headquarters where you will receive your registration packet.

Please note the registration hours, briefing times and fishing hours. All contestants must register in person, receive all tournament information, and attend a briefing before fishing by Saturday morning at 6:30 am.

We will mail you a confirmation registration card. Please keep your copy and bring it to tournament registration.

It’s going to be a great tournament! Remember, a portion of the proceeds always goes for fish stocking and habitat improvement. If you have any questions regarding the tournament, please call the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center at 800-359-6315.

Note: Food is available for purchase at Tournament Headquarters Thursday and Saturday night from 5pm – 9pm and on Sunday from 11am – 2pm. Food is provided by the Eagle River Rotary Club.

The entry fee will be $65.00 on or before August 1, 2019. Please note that all walk-in entry fees at the tournament headquarters will be $70.00 cash. We would like as many entrants as possible to pre-register before August 1, 2019. This makes it easier for the tournament to have the proper number of hats, entrant bags and any other information. Should you need to register after August 1, 2019 you will need to do so at the tournament headquarters. No pre-registration will be accepted after August 1, 2019.

Please note the registration hours, briefing times and fishing hours. All contestants must register in person, receive all tournament information, and attend a briefing before fishing by Saturday morning at 6:30 am.

To be eligible for the Early Bird Drawing, you must register before May 15, 2019. Our Early Bird Prize is two nights lodging in the Eagle River Area (subject to availability).

REGISTER ONLINE

Please note that credit card transactions are subject to a $3.00 transaction fee.

Friday August 16, 2019

(Fish Verification Slips can be turned in for fish caught and released on Friday at tournament headquarters between 5 pm and 8 pm.)

Saturday August 17, 2019

Registration

6:00 am to 6:30 am

Briefing

6:30 am

Fishing Hours (optional)

6:00 am to 5:00 pm

(Fish Verification Slips for fish caught and released on Friday and/or Saturday must be turned in on Saturday evening at tournament headquarters. Friday and Saturday fish not turned in on Saturday evening will not be scored.)

Door Prizes

6:30 pm

You must be present to win.

Food

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Sunday August 18, 2019

Fishing Hours

6:00 am to 11:00 am

(Fish Verification Slips for fish caught and released on Sunday must be turned in at tournament headquarters by 12:30 pm. Fish turned in after 12:30 pm will not be scored.)

Tournament Results, Door Prizes & Grand Drawing

1:00 pm

You must be present to win.

Food

11:00 am – 2:00 pm

2019 Printable Schedule

There are seven (7) “Lake Families” available to fish. These families can be requested and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. Each lake family is limited to 500 participants. Once a lake family is filled you will have to fish your 2nd choice. You must fish your assigned lake family at all times during the tournament. No changes or exceptions.

Lake Family 1: The Eagle River Chain Area – 10 lakes of the Eagle Chain from dam to dam, Lower Ninemile Lake, Sevenmile Lake, Kentuck Lake, and Deerskin Lake.

Lake Family 2: The Three Lakes Chain – All lakes in the Three Lakes Chain from dam up river.

All persons are eligible to enter the National Championship Musky Open on August 16, 17 & 18, 2019 . All persons under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Due to safety issues, children under the age of 8 are not eligible for this tournament.

Entries for pre-registration must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2019 in order to be received as a pre-registration. Contestants whose entries are received prior to May 15, 2019 will be eligible for an Early Bird Drawing – a two night stay at an area lodging facility in Eagle River, WI. All pre-registration entry fees are $65 per person.

No entries will be accepted after an August 1, 2018. postmark. After August 1, 2019, entries need to be done at on-site registration at the tournament headquarters—Vilas County Fairgrounds. All on-site entry fees are $70 per person and must be paid in cash.

Cancellation. No refund can be given should you need to cancel your entry into the tournament after August 1, 2019. Credit for entry can be transferred to the 2020 tournament.

Registration is available on-line at www.muskyopen.com

Requirements

Each boat and contestant will be required to abide by all of the State of Wisconsin’s boating and fishing laws.

Each entrant must personally sign their own attached insurance waiver form along with the registration form. A parent/guardian must sign for a minor. No exceptions

All partners must be listed on the registration form

All contestants must register in person at the tournament headquarters and must attend one mandatory tournament rules briefing before fishing. Report your attendance of a briefing to your lake family.

Boats & Equipment

All boats must meet U.S. Coast Guard and State of Wisconsin boating rules and safety standards and must be registered in accordance with regulations of the home state of the contestant owing the boat

All boats must be clean and free of Aquatic Invasive Species prior to leaving and entering another lake.

Cameras/digital cameras are recommended.

Fishing

Registered participants who immediately release muskies which are 34” and over will be counted and scored on ALL tournament lakes. Measure to the nearest 1/4”.

No fishing from bridges, piers, docks or the shore.

Only muskies caught legally on a hook and line will qualify for scoring.

Each person fishing is allowed only one (1) line in the water at any time. No live bait allowed.

Row trolling is permitted. No motor trolling allowed.

There shall be no less than two (2) registered contestants per boat at all times while fishing and all people in the boat during fishing hours must be registered tournament anglers.

Tournament hats MUST be worn while fishing.

Only muskies caught and released on Friday, Saturday or Sunday during tournament hours will be accepted for scoring. Verification catch slips will be issued to each contestant.

All muskies caught must be verified and released immediately. Verification catch slips may be done by fellow contestants from a different boat or the nearest person not in your boat. All slips must be turned in to Tournament Headquarters as soon as possible. Fish caught and released on Friday or Saturday MUST be registered by 8pm on Saturday night and fish caught and released on Sunday must be registered by 12:30pm on Sunday. Failure to do so will result in fish being disqualified from scoring.

This is a total catch & release tournament. Contestants may resume fishing upon successfully verifying and releasing their musky. If a musky is killed, the contestant must cease fishing for that day. As the legal bag limit is one (1) fish per day.

In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by earliest fish registration time on verification slip. Any disputes will be settled by the Official Tournament Committee and their decision is final and binding.

Alcoholic Beverages

NO alcoholic beverages may be consumed while fishing by contestants or tournament officials.

Any prior angler of the National Championship Musky Open who gets a NEW angler to enter the 2019 tournament, can enter their name into a special drawing for a musky rod and reel. The more people you have entered, the more chances you have to win this great musky rod and reel. You do not have to fish with this person(s), just recommend our great event and have the new angler register to be in the tournament.

Get a chance to win a Shimano Rod and Reel by donating a non-perishable food item or cash. For each food item or dollar you donate, you will receive one chance in the Help Fight Hunger drawing. Non-perishable food items and cash donations can be donated on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at the Help Fight Hunger Tent located at tournament headquarters. All food donations will be donated to the Vilas County Food Pantry.

To find information about the current musky populations on Wisconsin Lakes Click Here

Free Boat Wash

In an effort to help prevent the spread of invasive species in our area lakes during the duration of the tournament a free boat wash will be available. Boat washing is not required by WI law, but removes certain species like zebra mussels and spiny waterfleas better than the required steps. The free boat wash is made possible by: Vilas County Land & Water, UW-Oshkosh ERIC Intern Program, Lumberjack RC&D, WI Dept. of Natural Resources, Headwaters Chapter of Muskies Inc., Musky Clubs Alliance, and the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce.